(October 24, 2013) TORRANCE, Calif. — Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. transportation team, Toyota Logistics Services (TLS), moves approximately 2.2 million new Toyota and Lexus vehicles to dealerships every year. This week the U.S. EPA recognized TLS for making these moves as efficiently as possible. 
 
TLS received an Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) flagship program, SmartWay Transport. The SmartWay Excellence Awards program recognizes the top one percent of SmartWay partners with superior environmental performance.
 
Toyota is committed to utilizing only SmartWay highway transportation carriers. These carriers’ have been tested and verified, through the SmartWay Assessment Tool, as carriers that continually reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.  Toyota’s logistics partners are committed to investing in enhanced new equipment and industry best practices in order to maintain their SmartWay certification.
 
“Toyota is constantly improving its environmental efforts in partnership with the transportation industry,” said Brian Mason, national strategic planning manager for Toyota Logistics Service, Inc. “We are honored to be recognized for our commitment.”
 
The SmartWay program is designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution from the transportation industry by researching and evaluating new ways to optimize networks.  Since 2004, the 3, 073 SmartWay partners across the U.S. have saved an estimated $8.1 billion in fuel costs or 65 million barrels of oil.